Advertise on podcast: The HC Commodities Podcast

In this episode, host of the HC Commodities Podcast, Paul Chapman, shares his notes and reflections from the FT Global Commodities Summit, which he just attended in Lausanne, Switzerland. Drawing on panel discussions, on‑stage debates and informal conversations across the event, Paul explores the themes shaping today’s commodities markets across energy, metals and agriculture. From shifting supply‑chain models to rising geopolitical risk and the growing role of data and technology, the episode reflects on how market participants are adapting to a more fragmented and uncertain global landscape. HC Group was proud to be a Silver Sponsor of the summit, which brought together senior leaders from across the global commodities sector for debate, insight and exchange. AI in Commodity Trading is HC Group's latest report, produced in collaboration with FT Longitude. It explores where AI is having the greatest impact today, and what will determine competitive advantage tomorrow. Download the report here: https://www.hcgroup.global/insights/talent-trends/report-ai-in-commodity-trading-why-data-will-define-the-winners For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Register your interest for Bloomberg and HC Group's metals trading event: https://go.bloomberg.com/join/invite/metals-pricing-the-narrative-vs-pricing-the-physical/ Access HC Group’s Q1 Market Review: https://www.hcgroup.global/insights/market-reviews/access-q1-market-review-2026 Register for HC Talent Intelligence's Energy Trading Salary Report: https://www.hcgroup.global/reports For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Today, we return to the European energy markets, in particular, power. How has European power demand fared since COVID and Russia's invasion of Ukraine? What has that done to power markets themselves and the energy mix? Just as European power demand was starting to pick back up, has Israel and the US's attack on Iran upended it? And what has all this volatility meant for power traders and European energy traders more broadly? Our guest is Xavier Veillard, Partner at McKinsey & Company and global lead for power trading, to unpack how market volatility is reshaping power trading strategies and the skills traders now require. For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Tungsten is vital to military hardware and industry, including oil drilling. Yet, prices have risen tenfold in the last year, threatening both. This is a story of China's production capture, now wielded as an economic weapon. What is Tungsten, how is it mined and made, and how did we end up here? And what does it mean for the West? Our guest is William Parry-Jones, founder of Wolfram Advisory, a consultancy supporting clients in capturing value across the Tungsten and other critical minerals supply chains. For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

In Episode 300, we take two metals - copper and gold - and compare and contrast their price journey. How does the physical supply and demand story compare to the investor narrative that drove prices to an all-time high? And how has the conflict in Iran test or confirm that narrative. In other words, to coin a term, have we seen the “goldification”of copper and other metals? Our guest is Grant Sporre, a senior commodities and equities analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. He has had a long career in commodities, both on the sell-side for banks, as well as in operational roles in mining. This is part one. Part two will be recorded live in Geneva on April 22nd for an HC Commodities podcast live event hosted by Bloomberg Intelligence. This is our 300 episodes of the HC Commodities Podcast. Six years of weekly shows undertaking deep dives into the trends and topics with the commodities trading sector. A huge thanks to all of our guests and supporters who have helped us on the journey. Fina Charleson, our tireless editor and the HC Marketing team and, of course, all our over half a million unique listeners that have listened along the way. And we have a new logo to carry us for the next 300. For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

As the Iran War entered its fourth week, Houston hosted S&P Global's CERA Week. Where leaders from across the energy & natural resources sector mingle with policy wonks and senior government officials from around the world. This CERA Week was as noticeable for its last minute absences, doom-scrolling, braves faces and some swagger both from big oil and big clean tech. Nick Kumbleben of Greenmantle gives us his take on the vibe and key discussion points. For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

500 years ago another group of commodities flowed through the Strait of Hormuz, making those that controlled that vital trade route fabulously wealthy. Those commodities were the spices: nutmeg and cloves. Grown only in two tiny islands in modern day Indonesia and the Philippines, they were worth their weight in gold. Then in 1512 the Portuguese upended that global trade and in so doing created the modern world and the blueprint for how commodity traders operate today (minus the cannons). Joining us is award winning historian Roger Crowley to discuss his latest book: Spice: The 16th-Century Contest that Shaped the Modern World.  For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

We have moved beyond the duration discussion. The damage has been done and the oil markets will not return to the ante-bellum state any time soon if ever. What happens when financial markets - both for oil and more broadly catch up to the physical reality? Molecule Contagion as our guest for this special episode Jeff Currie of Carlyle puts in. The revenge of the old economy just got teeth and the ramifications are being discounted at best and denied at worst. What are the longer term impacts of the events in the Gulf. Accelerating decoupling, de-dollarization and a shot in the arm for the energy transition. The only safety....HALO stocks. For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

With the Strait of Hormuz virtually closed, what does that mean for the regions biggest customer - Asia? Tom Reed, VP of Crude and Products at Argus Media joins us to provide a detailed examination on the impact of Israel and the US's joint attack on Iran on crude and product flows from the region. What were the flows prior to the attack? What has it meant for traders, contracts and customers? Is China tapping its Strategic Petroleum Reserve? And will Asian countries start to ban the export of fuels? For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Returning today to discuss the latest developments from Israel & US's war with Iran is Nick Kumleben, Director at Greenmantle, the geopolitical risk advisory firm. What are the commodities markets telling us about duration? What are the incentive structures in place? How are traders faring in this period of extraordinary volatility? Is the US Treasury trading and how rumor and innuendo are driving that volatility? What would mines in the strait mean? Would boots on the ground actually lower prices? Why are the equity markets so sanguine? could this, plus a smoldering private credit fund concern, lead us quickly to the global financial crisis? For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Today,  we return to US domestic energy supply and private equity. The vibrancy of private capital markets launched the shale revolution and is now unlocking key bottlenecks in infrastructure as the US looks to meet the world’s demand for LNG and domestic AI. Where is shale production today?  Are rumors of its demise overstated? Where is demand headed, particularly for natural gas? And how is private equity faring more broadly in a world of higher interest rates and other macro-economic headwinds? And what are the opportunities within energy and its infrastructure? Our guest is Jason Downie, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Tailwater Capital, a private equity firm with over 6 billion in capital and a core focus on energy infrastructure.  For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Nick Kumleben, Director of the Geopolitical Risk Consultancy founded by Niall Ferguson, Greenmantle, rejoins us to discuss the latest events in Middle East. What are the short, medium and long-term consequences of Israel and the US's joint attack on global trade and commodities. What are some non-linear effects and why ultimately duration is key. For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Today, we discuss how volatility and battery energy storage systems are reshaping clean energy and repairing power markets. What does the domination of clean power do to markets? What are the consequences both for power purchase agreements, battery storage and traders? What are the nuances in different regulatory regimes? How is Europe diverging from the US, and what has happened to the green premium? Our guest to discuss all of this and more is Luca Pedretti, CEO and founder of Pexapark, a pricing intelligence firm for clean energy. For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Today, we review energy supply and demand and some of the key sentiments coming out of International Energy Week, not only about where both those curves are headed, but also key associated risks to each. Are our assumptions correct about energy demand in the world of AI? Are our assumptions correct around development curves, especially in the Global South? Is there a hydrocarbon glut out there? And what about the long term? All this comes to us from Claudio Galimberti, Chief Economist at Rystad Energy, and their recently published House View. Rystad is an energy consulting and market analytics firm with over 40 offices around the world and headquartered in Oslo. The House View is available for download here. https://www.rystadenergy.com/house-view-report For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

AI is already changing commodity trading operating models. And unlocking adjacent technologies such as digital assets and DeFI? That itself is changing the competitive landscape and attracting new participants from outside the sector. Where is that investment going? And how profound is this change going to be? And how quickly is it going to be upon us? Our guest is Eren Zekioglu. Eren has spent a career at hedge funds and at trading houses and at the intersection of trading, operations and technology, including at Glencore and Gunvor. For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global